Cerceris Latreille 1802

Animal / parasite
larva of Hedychrum niemelai parasitises nest of Cerceris

Animal / kleptoparasite
larva of Pterella grisea kleptoparasitises nest of Cerceris
Other: sole host/prey

Cerceris gandari Rohwer

Cerceris gandarai Rohwer, 1912:470, fig. 9.

FEMALE.—Length 10 mm. Black with very light yellow to creamy-white markings; punctation and pubescence average.

Head slightly wider than the thorax; black except for very large frontal eye patches, most of the clypeus, a rounded patch back of the eyes, and a small patch on the mandibles near the base, all of which are very light yellow; no clypeal process on the surface of the clypeus but the medial lobe with a semidivided, laminated extension (in some specimens completely divided into two rounded extensions); the black of the frons extending along the epistomal suture to the border of the eye; mandibles with one large denticle; antennae normal in form, scape and pedicel black, flagellum fulvous below on the more basal segments, fuscous otherwise.

Thorax black except for a divided band on the pronotum, an oval patch on the propodeum, and the tegulae, all of which are very light yellow or creamy white; tegulae normal; enclosure minutely pitted and with a medial groove; mesosternal tubercle small but definite; legs black except for narrow yellow rings on the first two trochanters, and most of the hind trochanter, which is also yellow; distal ends of all femori brown; tibiae and tarsi yellow infused amber, becoming darker on the hind leg; wings subhyaline with the usual clouded area along the anterior margin; stigma light.

Abdomen black with subequal medium bands on all terga narrowing medially, that on tergum 1 divided; venter immaculate except for large, lateral, wedge-shaped patches of yellow on sterna 3 and 4; pygidium as illustrated (Figure 156i).

MALE.—Length 9 mm. Black with creamy-white to very light yellow markings; punctation average on the head and thorax but somewhat larger and more sparse on the abdomen.

Head slightly wider than the thorax; black except for very large frontal eye patches, the entire clypeus other than the free border, a small patch on the frons, and a small spot on the mandible, all of which are very light yellow to white; medial clypeal lobe extension subequal in width to the epistomal suture and without denticles; hair lobes extending over the entire lateral clypeal lobe; antennae normal in form, colored as in the female.

Thorax black except for a divided band on the pronotum, the metanotum, and a patch on the tegulae, all of which are very light yellow to creamy white; tegulae normal; enclosure with scattered, minute punctation and the usual medial groove; mesosternal tubercle absent; legs black to near distal ends of femori except the fore- and midtrochanters, which have a trace of yellow and the hind trochanter, which are largely light yellow; distal ends of fore- and midfemori are yellow and distal ends of hind femori are amber; all tibiae are yellow with small patches of fuscous; tarsi yellow infused with darker areas; wings as in the female.

Abdomen black except subequal medium bands on terga 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, minute lateral spots on tergum 1, and lateral wedge-shaped patches on sterna 3 and 4; pygidium as illustrated (Figure 156d).

This species was described from the male. The female is described herein for the first time. It is distinguished most readily from closely related species by the brown or amber tip of the femori.

TYPE.—The male type from the Federal District, Mexico, is at the National Museum of Natural History (USNM 14180).

DISTRIBUTION.—Common on the central plateau of Mexico from the states of Durango, Jalisco, and southern Chihuahua to Oaxaca with one record from southern Texas. Specimens are as follows:

MEXICO: AGUASCALIENTES: 9, Aguascalientes, 9 August 1955 (RMc, Ha); ♂, same locality, 3–5 August 1963 (PJS); ♂, 5 mi N Aguascalientes, 17 July 1954 (JWM, EIS); ♂, 19 mi S Aguascalientes, 4 August 1954 (RFS and party). CHIHUAHUA: ♂, Salaices, 5200 ft, 20 August 1947 (GMB). COAHUILA: ♂, 15 mi N Saltillo, 4450 ft, 9 September 1963 (S and B). DISTRITO FEDERAL: ♂, Chapingo, 7 April 1924; 9, same locality, 28 September 1962 (FMP); ♀, Distrito Federal (LCo); ♂, same locality, 1867 (OSi); ♀, ♂, same locality, 8 July, 1928 (GL); ♂, Mexico City, 9 June 1947 (THH); ♀, same locality, 16 August 1956 (R and KD); 2♂, 25 mi E Mexico City, 8000 ft, 9 June 1956 (HAS); 3♂, San Jeronimo, 11 June, 1 July 1946 (JD and DP); ♂, Xochlmilco, 22 July 1947 (HOW). DURANGO: ♂, Durango, 6500 ft, 23 October 1957 (HAS); ♂, 12 mi SW Durango, 7000 ft, 24 July 1953 (UKE); ♂, 10 mi W Durango, 12 July 1954 (TWM); ♂, same locality and date (EIS); ♂, 76 mi S Durango, 8100 ft, 16 June 1956 (HAS); 4♂, 12, 14, and 15 mi N of Durango, 6400 to 6550 ft, 17 September 1963 (S and B); ♂, 4 mi W Durango, 6300 ft, 18 September 1963 (S and B); 17♂, 10, 20, and 35 mi W of Durango, 6600 to 7900 ft, (DB); ♂, 5 mi W Durango, 7200 ft, 14 August 1965 (HEE); ♀, Nombrede, 13 August 1965 (HEE, MAE). GUANAIUATO: ♂, Guanajuato (ED); ♂, 2 mi N Guanajuato, 25 July 1954 (ESc); ♂, San Miguel Allende, 12 August 1953 (C and PV); ♂, Silae, 16 August 1953 (C and PV). HIDALGO: ♂, 22 mi SW Actopan, 6850 ft, 27 August 1962 (O and R);♂, 10 mi W Ixmiquilpan, 6100 ft, 29 July 1951 (UKE); ♂, 14 mi SW Pachuca, 7500 ft, 9 July 1961 (UKE); ♂, 4 mi W Pachuca, 7900 ft, 16 June 1961 (UKE); ♂, 3 mi N Tepeapulco, 17 June 1961 (UKE); ♂, 13.5 mi NE Tizayuca, 7700 ft, 28 August 1962 (UKE); ♀, 6 mi E Tulancingo, 6900 ft, 24 August 1962 (O and R). JALISCO: ♀, Encarnacion de Diaz, 28 Julv 1951 (PDH); ♀, Jalostitlan, 6000 ft, 19 July 1954 (UKE); ♂, Lagos de Moreno, 19 August 1960 PHA, ER, R). MEXICO: ♂, Atlacomulco, 8800 ft, 18 August 1954 (UKE); 2♀, 3♂, same locality, 8550 ft, 30 August 1963 (S and B); ♂, 8 mi N Atlacomulco, 8550 ft, 30 August 1963 (S and B); 9, Chapingo, 2 August 1962 (FLo); ♂, same locality, 23 June 1961 (FMP); ♀, 19♂, Teotihuacan, 15 June, 6–7 July 1951, at Asclepias species (PDH); 11♂, same locality, 15–16 June, 6–7 July 1951, 3 July 1959 (HEE); 4♂, 8♂, same locality, 21 July 1956 (R and KD); 5♂, Tepexpan, 26 July 1953 (P and S); 2♂, same locality, 6900 ft, 12 August 1954 (UKE); ♀, 7♂, Texcoco, 7000 ft, 12 August 1954 (JGC); 2♂, same locality and date (UKE); 5♂, M mi W Texcoco, 20 June 1962 (DHJ); 2♂, 10 mi S junction Highways 55 and 45, 7400 ft, 30 August 1963 (S and B). MICHOACÁN: 2♂, 10 mi N Morelia, 5900 ft, 28 July 1962 (UKE). NUEVO LEON: ♂, 13 mi W Linareas, 4600 ft, 10 September 1963 (S and B); 3♂, 41 mi S Saltillo, 6200 ft, 7 September 1962 (UKE). OAXACA: 8♀, 16♂, Mitla, 5600 ft, 27–28 June, 20 August 1963 at Baccharis glutinosa (S and B); ♀, 9 mi NW Nochixtlan, 6850 ft, 23 August 1963 (S and B); 3, Oaxaca, 5068 ft, 24 August 1957 (HAS); 2♂, 24 mi SE Oaxaca, 22 August 1963 (S and B); ♂, 2 mi NW Tamazulapan, 6000 ft, 28 June 1961 (UKE). PUEBLA: 4♂, Puebla (JGC); ♂, same locality, 3 July 1952 (EEG, CDMc); 8♂, 13, 28, and 35 mi SE Puebla, 25 June, 24 August 1963, 6600–6900 ft, (S and B); 2♂, Tehuacan, 23 June 1951 (PDH); ♂, same locality and date (HEE); ♂, same locality, 7 June 1956 (HAS); ♂, 7 mi SE Tiacotepec, 6200 ft, 24 August 1963 (S and B). QUERÉTARO: ♂, 10 mi NW Leon, 6700 ft, 19 August 1954 (JGC); ♀, 11 mi W Querétaro, 6000 ft, 18 August 1954 (JGC); ♂, 54 mi E Querétaro (in Guanajuato), 7400 ft, 13 June 1956 (HAS); 3♀, 46♂, 41 m N Querétaro, 6500 ft, 19 September 1963 (S and B). SAN LUIS POTOSÍ: ♀, ♂, 10 mi NE San Luis Potosí, 6200 ft, 22 August 1954 (RRD); 3♀, ♂, 15 mi E and 18 mi SW San Luis Potosí, 6500 and 7300 ft, 2–3 October 1957 (HAS); 2♂, 27 mi SW San Luis Potosí, 6550 ft, 25 July 1962 (UKE); 9♀, 41♂, 17 mi NE 16♀, 5♂, 40 mi S, and 3♂, 19 mi SW San Luis Potosí, 6200, 5700, and 7200 ft, respectively, 5, 6 September 1963 (S and B). SINALOA: ♂, 25 mi E Mazatlan, 6100 ft, 19 June 1964 (DB). VERACRUZ: 2♂, 5 mi E Aculzingo, 5000 ft, 9 July 1959 (HEE). ZACATECAS: ♂, Fresnillo, 7000 ft, 15 August 1957 (CDM); ♂, 4 mi N Fresnillo, 20 August 1960 (PHA, ER, R); ♀, ♂, Sombrerete, 6000 ft, 2 July 1961 (R and KD); 2♂, Trancosa, 3 July 1961 (R and KD); 2♂, 12 mi SE Zacatecas, 20 August 1960 (PHA, ER, R); 2♂, km 55, Highway 45, 3 July 1961 (R and KD).

UNITED STATES: TEXAS; ♀, 10 mi S Falfurrias, Brooks Co., 9 April 1954 (REB and party).

PREY RECORD.—None.

PLANT RECORD.—Asclepias species (state of Mexico) Baccharis glutinosa (Oaxaca).

Cerceris is a genus of wasps in the family Crabronidae. It is the largest genus in the family, with over 1030 described species and subspecies. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution, with species on every continent.

The adult female Cerceris wasp generally digs a nest in the soil and provisions it with living prey items she has paralyzed with venom. The prey are usually beetles, and sometimes bees. Many Cerceris are solitary, but some species share nesting sites or nest communally.

The faces of the females are frequently modified with unusual projections on the clypeus and the clypeal margin which can take the shape of conical bulges to elongated curving "horns". Paralyzed prey are carried in the females' mandibles, which are somewhat elongated and tend to have prominent teeth, often with species-specific shapes. The abdominal segments are also constricted very strongly at the junctures, giving the abdomen a somewhat corrugated, accordion-like appearance.